World Cup 2026 news live: Philadelphia announces free transportation to games Seth Vertelney, USA TODAYMon, April 20, 2026 at 4:26 PM UTC 0 World Cup 2026 transportation in Philadelphia is going to look a lot different than some other cities. On Monday, April 20, the Philadelphia host committee announced an agreement with Airbnb that will see fans receive free rides on SEPTA trains after all six matches the city will host this summer. The rides on the Broad Street Line from NRG Station will begin at halftime and continue for two hours following the end of each match.
World Cup 2026 news live: Philadelphia announces free transportation to games
Seth Vertelney, USA TODAYMon, April 20, 2026 at 4:26 PM UTC
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World Cup 2026 transportation in Philadelphia is going to look a lot different than some other cities.
On Monday, April 20, the Philadelphia host committee announced an agreement with Airbnb that will see fans receive free rides on SEPTA trains after all six matches the city will host this summer.
The rides on the Broad Street Line from NRG Station will begin at halftime and continue for two hours following the end of each match.
Last week, SEPTA announced that fares will be at the normal $2.90 rate for fans riding their trains this summer. But now, fans who exit near Lincoln Financial Field will not have to pay anything.
"Accessibility has been a central priority for Philadelphia Soccer 2026 since our bid, and we are grateful to Airbnb for sharing our fan-centered vision for FIFA World Cup in Philadelphia," said Daniel Hilferty, co-chair of Philadelphia Soccer 2026.
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MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey (hosting World Cup final)
Boston and New York/New Jersey transportation headaches
The announcement from Philadelphia has put the issues faced by Boston and New York/New Jersey into stark relief.
Lincoln Financial Field is much closer to Philadelphia's core than Gillette Stadium and MetLife Stadium are to Boston and Manhattan, respectively. But Philadelphia's relatively pain-free World Cup transportation plan looks much different compared to the two host cities to its north.
FIFA and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill have become embroiled in a war of words over the past week, with NJ Transit confirming that passengers will have to pay $150 for a round-trip ticket between New York's Penn Station to and New Jersey's MetLife Stadium.
Sherrill said the high prices were due to FIFA offering limited parking at the stadium and refusing to cover the costs of transporting fans.
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"We inherited an agreement where FIFA is providing $0 for transportation to the World Cup," Sherrill said on X. "And while NJ Transit is stuck with a $48 million bill to safely get fans to and from games, FIFA is making $11 billion. I'm not going to stick New Jersey commuters with that tab for years to come."
FIFA, on the other hand, has said the price increase would have a "chilling effect" on fans attending games in New Jersey and said Sherrill’s demands asking FIFA to absorb transportation costs for fans were "unprecedented."
In Boston, meanwhile, round-trip train tickets to Foxborough during the 2026 World Cup will be $80.
That price is quadruple the usual cost of $20, which the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) charges for New England Patriots games, New England Revolution games and other events at Gillette Stadium.
What has transportation been like at past World Cups?
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the country's government funded free travel on its Metro system for ticket holders.
According to FIFA, 2026 host cities previously agreed to provide free transportation before they were then allowed to provide service at cost.
"The original FIFA World Cup 2026 host city agreements signed in 2018 required free transportation for fans to all matches," a FIFA spokesperson said last week.
"Recognizing the financial strain this placed on the host cities, back in 2023 FIFA adjusted the host agreement requirements across all host cities as follows: All match ticket holders and accredited individuals shall be able to access transport (public or additionally planned transport) at cost to allow travel to stadiums on match days."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup 2026 news live: Philadelphia offers free train rides
Source: "AOL Sports"
Source: Sports
Published: April 20, 2026 at 03:27PM on Source: PRIME TIME
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